2016 BMW 3 SERIES SEDAN Owner's Manual

You can obtain a selection of replacement
bulbs at the service center.
Danger of burns
Only change bulbs when they are cool;
otherwise, there is a danger of getting
burned.◀
Working on the lighting system
When working on the lighting system,
you should always reel off the lights affected to
prevent short circuits.
To avoid possible injury or equipment damage
when replacing bulbs, observe any instructions
provided by the bulb manufacturer.◀
Do not perform work/bulb replacement
on xenon headlights
Have any work on the xenon lighting system,
including bulb replacement, performed only by
a service center. Due to the high voltage
present in the system, there is a danger of fatal
injuries if work is carried out improperly.◀
Do not touch the bulbs
Do not touch the glass of new bulbs with
your bare hands, as even minute amounts of
contamination will burn into the bulb's surface
and reduce its service life.
Use a clean tissue, cloth or something similar,
or hold the bulb by its base.◀
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
Some items of equipment use light-emitting
diodes installed behind a cover as a light
source.
These light-emitting diodes, which are related
to conventional lasers, are officially designated as Class 1 light-emitting diodes.
Do not remove the covers
Do not remove the covers, and never
stare into the unfiltered light for several hours;
otherwise, irritation of the retina could result.◀Headlight glass
Condensation can form on the inside of the ex‐
ternal lights in cool or humid weather. When
driving with the light switched on, the conden‐
sation evaporates after a short time. The head‐
light glass does not need to be changed.
If the headlights do not dim despite driving
with the light switched on, increasing humidity
forms, e. g. water droplets in the light, have the service center check this.
Headlight setting The headlight adjustments can be affected by
changing lights and bulbs. Have the head‐
lights' settings checked and corrected by serv‐
ice after a replacement.
Front lights, bulb replacement
Halogen headlights
Headlights1Parking lights2High beams/headlight flasher3Low beams4Turn signal5Daytime running lights
Accessing the turn signals and low beams
Follow general instructions, refer to page 212.
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In the wheel house, loosen the two brackets
and remove the cover.
Turn signal
21-watt bulb, PY21W
1.If necessary, pull the inside trim of the
wheel house slightly inward. Turn the bulb
holder counterclockwise and remove.2.Press the bulb gently into the socket, turn
counterclockwise and remove.3.Install the new bulb and bulb holder in re‐
verse order of removal.4.Attach the cover to the wheel house.Low beams
55-watt bulb, H7.1.Turn the lid counterclockwise and remove.2.Tilt the bulb down and then up to loosen it
from the holder and remove.3.Pull the connector off the bulb.4.Attach the connector to the new bulb.5.First insert the bulb at the top with the
strap, arrow 1, and then press down firmly,
arrow 2. Make sure that the bulb snaps into
place.6.Close the headlight housing with the lid.
Make sure that the lid engages.7.Attach the cover to the wheel house.Seite 214MobilityReplacing components214
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Accessing the daytime running lights, high
beams/headlight flasher and parking lights
Follow general instructions, refer to page 212.1.Open the hood, refer to page 205.2.Turn the lid counterclockwise and remove.
Parking lights
6-watt bulb, H6W.
1.Turn the bulb holder counterclockwise and
remove.2.Press the bulb gently into the socket, turn
counterclockwise and remove.3.To insert the bulb and bulb holder, proceed
in reverse order of removal. Make sure that
the bulb holder snaps into place.4.Close the headlight housing with the lid.
Make sure that the lid engages.High beams/headlight flasher
55-watt bulb, H7.1.Tilt the bulb down and then up to loosen it
from the holder and remove.2.Pull the connector off the bulb.3.Attach the connector to the new bulb.4.First insert the bulb at the top with the
strap, arrow 1, and then press down firmly,
arrow 2. Make sure that the bulb snaps into
place.5.Close the headlight housing with the lid.
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Daytime running lights
24-watt bulb, PW24W.1.If necessary, remove the high beam bulb
connector.2.Remove the bulb holder.3.Remove the bulb from the bulb holder.4.To insert the new bulb, proceed in reverse
order of removal. During insertion, the bot‐
tom of the bulb holder must be facing
downward. Make sure that the bulb holder
snaps into place.5.Attach the high beam bulb connector.6.Close the headlight housing with the lid.
Make sure that the lid engages.
Xenon headlights
Xenon headlights
Because of the long life of these bulbs, the
likelihood of failure is very low. Switching the
lights on and off frequently shortens their life.
If a bulb fails, reel on the front fog lights and
continue the trip with great care. Comply with
local regulations.
Do not perform work/bulb replacement
on xenon headlights
Have any work on the xenon lighting system,
including bulb replacement, performed only by
a service center. Due to the high voltage
present in the system, there is a danger of fatal
injuries if work is carried out improperly.◀
For checking and adjusting headlamp aim,
please contact your BMW center.
Headlights1Parking lights / daytime running lights2Low beams/high beams/headlight flasher3Turn signal
Low beams and high beams are designed with
xenon technology.
The parking lights and daylight running lights
are made using LED technology.
Contact your service center in the event of a
malfunction.
Turn signal
Follow general instructions, refer to page 212.
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21-watt bulb, PY21W1.In the wheel house, loosen the two brack‐
ets and remove the cover.2.If necessary, pull the inside trim of the
wheel house slightly inward. Turn the bulb
socket counterclockwise and remove.3.Press the bulb gently into the socket, turn
counterclockwise and remove.4.Install the new bulb and bulb holder in re‐
verse order of removal.5.Attach the cover to the wheel house.
Front fog lights
Follow general instructions, refer to page 212.
35-watt bulb, H8.
1.Use the handle of the screwdriver from the
onboard vehicle tool kit to remove the
three wheel house panel screws, arrow 1.Carefully pull back the wheel house panel,
arrow 2.2.Pull off the bulb connector, arrow 1.
Turn the bulb, arrow 2.
Left side of vehicle: turn clockwise.
Right side of vehicle: turn counterclock‐
wise.
Remove the bulb.3.Insert the new bulb, connect the connector
and screw on the wheel house panel.
Turn signal in exterior mirror
Follow general instructions, refer to page 212.
The turn signals in the exterior mirrors feature
LED technology. Contact your service center
in the event of a malfunction.
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Tail lights, bulb replacement
At a glance1Turn signal2Reversing lamp3Inside brake lamp4Tail lights5Outside brake lamp
Bulb replacement, exterior tail lights General information
Follow general instructions, refer to page 212.
Turn signal: 21-watt bulb, P21WLL.
Outer brake lamp: 21-watt bulb, H21W.
The tail lights feature LED technology. Contact
your service center in the event of a malfunc‐
tion.
Use caution when replacing the bulb
Use caution and proceed one step at a
time when replacing the bulbs to prevent dam‐
age to the tail lights or the vehicle.◀
Removing the exterior tail lamp1.Open trunk lid.2.Use the screwdriver from the onboard ve‐
hicle tool kit to loosen the screw, arrow 1,
and remove the cover, arrow 2.3.Use the screwdriver handle to loosen the
two nuts, arrows 1 and 2, and remove. The
tail lamp is still attached to a rubber mount
on the outside.4.Grasp the inner edge of the tail lamp and
carefully swing it back and out of the rub‐
ber mount, arrow 1. Use your free hand to
hold it in place in order to prevent the tail
lamp from coming loose suddenly. Make
sure that the foam rubber sealing ring is on
the centering pin, arrow 2.Seite 218MobilityReplacing components218
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5.Remove the connecting line from the clip
on the bulb holder.6.Press and hold the catch at the top on the
connector of the connecting line and re‐
move the connector from the bulb holder.
Replacing the bulbs
1.Loosen the four fasteners, arrow 1, on the
bulb holder and remove the bulb holder
from the tail lamp, arrow 2.2.Press the defective bulb gently into the
socket, turn counterclockwise and remove.3.Proceed in the reverse order to insert the
new bulb and attach the bulb holder. Make
sure that the bulb holder engages in all fas‐
teners.
Installing the tail lamp
1.Connect the connecting line to the tail
lamp and secure the bulb holder in the clip.2.Make sure that the foam rubber sealing
ring is on the centering pin, arrow 2, and is
not damaged.3.Position and firmly press the outer part of
the tail lamp onto the rubber mount, ar‐
row 1 and the inner part onto the centeringcomponent, arrow 2. Make sure that the
tail lamp engages in the rubber mount.4.Screw the tail lamp on with the two nuts.5.Insert and secure the cover. Make sure that
the tubular seal is not pinched.
Lights in the trunk lid
General information
Follow general instructions, refer to page 212.
Reversing lights: 16-watt bulb, PW16W.
Inner brake lights: 21-watt bulb, H21W
Accessing the lights
1.If needed, remove warning triangle, refer to
page 224, and bracket with the screw‐
driver from the onboard vehicle tool kit, re‐
fer to page 212.2.Use the screwdriver from the onboard ve‐
hicle tool kit to loosen and completely re‐
move the screws on the trim.3.Carefully loosen the trim from the trunk lid,
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the area around the recessed grips. Make
sure that the trim does not become stuck.4.Carefully swing out the trim.
Replacing the reversing lamp and inner
brake lamp
1.Loosen the two holders, arrow 1 and pull
down on the lamp holder to remove, ar‐
row 2.2.Unscrew the defective bulb of the revers‐
ing or brake lamp from its socket counter‐
clockwise.3.Insert the new bulb.
Installing the bulb holder
1.Slide the bulb holder onto the two guide
pins, arrow 1. Insert the two contacts, ar‐
row 2, into the connections, arrow 3.2.Press on the bulb holder. Make sure that
the two exterior holders latch into place.3.Swing the trim back onto the trunk lid and
secure.Rear lamp, license plate lamp and
central brake lamp
Follow general instructions, refer to page 212.
These lights are made using LED technology.
Contact your service center in the event of a
malfunction.
Changing wheels
Hints When using run-flat tires or sealants, a tire
does not need to be changed immediately in
the event of pressure loss due to a flat tire.
Which is why no spare tire is available.
The tools for changing wheels are available as
accessories from your service center.
Jacking points for the vehicle jack
The jacking points for the vehicle jack are lo‐
cated at the positions shown.
Vehicle battery Maintenance
The battery is maintenance-free.
The added amount of acid is sufficient for the
service life of the battery.
Further information about the battery can be
obtained from your service center.
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